Every Andrew McMahon fan knows Andrew pours his heart into everything he does and his memoir is no exception. His story is a love letter to the music that saves us and a powerfully rich and heartfelt story of family, fame, love, survival, and rebirth. My own story differs from Andrew’s in many ways but I felt a true sense of nostalgia reading Three Pianos.

I first discovered Andrew’s music as a 15-year-old experiencing love for the first time. While reading Three Pianos, I felt myself returning to the day I discovered Something Corporate as I heard “Down” resonating from my boyfriend’s headphones. That boyfriend is now my husband of 10 years and Andrew’s music has been the soundtrack to our lives from the moment we first fell in love. We had the honor of meeting Andrew at Warped Tour in 2008. We then traveled across Texas and Oklahoma to see him in concert many times and flew out to California for the first Something Corporate reunion in 2010. I walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of Cavanaugh Park and our first dance was to an acoustic version of “Swim”. We now have three children, including our third girl, who is named Cecilia. Andrew’s legacy has played an enormous role in our lives and this book now holds an equally precious place in my heart.

In his memoir, Andrew captures the poignancy and pain of family dysfunction and first love in an incredibly raw and realistic manner. While reading his book, I flashed back to my own experience of falling in love for the first time and then finding comfort in Andrew’s words and melodies when that love was crushed. Although I was sad to learn about Andrew’s heartbreak, it helped me understand why I related to his music to such an extreme degree. His songs already spoke to me but his description of the demons that haunted him during the songwriting process has given those songs even greater meaning.

The latter portion of the book is heart-wrenching but hopeful. I don’t want to say too much about this aspect of Andrew’s story because it truly is his story to tell. I will say that I was deeply moved hearing more about his battle with cancer and the more recent portions of his life that I hadn’t been aware of until now. He has walked a long journey towards self-discovery and healing, which makes his redemption all the more commendable.

Andrew has always had an incredible way with words and he has managed to craft yet another beautiful work of art in the process of telling his story. Although it felt different reading his words in the absence of his piano, I could hear his voice and his music in my head as I turned from page to page. There are plenty of references to beloved songs within this book that any fan is certain to catch and appreciate. While long-term fans will likely find the most enjoyment from his story, I believe anyone can find inspiration in this book. Be warned though: You will fall in love with Andrew’s enrapturing writing style and his depth of feeling as he recounts his unstable childhood, rise to fame, dance with death, self-sabotage, and eventual triumph.

Thank you so much to Princeton Architectural Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley. It was truly an honor to read this book and I have already ordered my signed copy.